Allison Chin is one of my Asian American eco-heroines. She is the current president of the Sierra Club, the nation’s oldest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. As president, she is the top leader of the Club’s volunteer structure.
Even before I was hired by the Sierra Club, I’d seen her blog on the Sierra Club’s website and thought, “Wow! She’s pretty cool!”
I got to meet Allison Chin when I went to Washington DC for orientation for my new job at the Sierra Club.
Allison stopped by to have lunch with us and shared that volunteerism and an appreciation for the environment have played big roles in her life since she was young. She is optimistic about Asian Pacific Islander Americans’ growing involvement in the environmental movement, especially as APIs recognize that a healthy environment is important for human health and going green saves money in the long term.
Earlier this month, I was working in the Sierra Club’s San Francisco office, making phone calls alongside volunteers nationwide to urge constituents to thank their congresspeople for voting for the American Clean Energy and Security Act.
By the end of the two hour phone banking period, all the volunteers had logged off the system — except for Allison! She was still on the line making phone calls, and there was nothing we could do but let her keep going! Despite her busy schedule, Allison remains a true volunteer. Talk about inspiring!
— posted by Debbie Chong
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